InP membrane nanophotonics enhanced by hybrid integration of novel materials

Indium phosphide (InP) membrane nanophotonics enables high-confinement optical waveguides in combination with native III-V functionality such as on-chip lasers and amplifiers. The strong optical confinement not only allows sub-micron waveguides and compact bends, but also enhances the interaction between guided light and surrounding materials, creating opportunities for hybrid integration of novel functional materials. Beyond monolithic semiconductor devices, such hybrid integration enables new functionalities and enhanced performance in photonic integrated circuits. This paper reviews recent progress in InP membrane photonics enabled by the integration of electro-optic materials for high-speed modulation, magneto-optical and phase-change materials for non-reciprocal and non-volatile functions, and liquid crystals for programmable photonics. Together, these results demonstrate how the InP membrane platform can host diverse material functionalities and support fully integrated photonic systems, highlighting platform versatility as a key enabler for multifunctional, high-performance photonic integrated circuits.